UNTIL HE REMEMBERS ME

Chapter 2

Alex paced back and forth in the hospital hallway, his footsteps restless, his mind trapped between hope and denial as he waited for the DNA results.

"Daddy…"

The small tug at his pants froze him. Alex looked down and found himself staring at a boy—his boy. The child looked like a miniature version of him, only with bright, innocent eyes that carried no weight of the world.

Alex blinked, lost. His chest tightened as his mind whispered mockingly: Why am I even waiting for results? It's so obvious. He looks like me. And yet, another part of him clung to excuses—what if I had a secret twin out there, like in those ridiculous novels?

Lucas stared up at him, hope gleaming in his gaze. "Daddy," he called again.

Alex cleared his throat, eyes flicking toward Isabella. His glare was sharp, cold, as though saying, can't you handle your child? But the words stuck in his throat.

Instead, he sat down slowly, pulling the boy closer and holding his small hand.

Isabella exhaled in relief. She had been drained from following Alex's restless pacing, and with Sophia asleep in her arms, the weight was almost unbearable. Her head bobbed once, then again, until she was dozing off in the stiff hospital chair.

The sudden creak of the doctor's office door startled them. A young secretary stepped out, holding a clipboard.

"Mr. and Mrs. Castillo, please come in."

"She's not my Mrs," Alex muttered under his breath.

Isabella scratched her head nervously and stood, Sophia now awake and wriggling in her arms. She followed Alex into the office.

********

"Mr. Castillo and Miss Morales," the doctor greeted with a professional smile, handing each of them an envelope. "This is the DNA report."

Alex's hands shook as he unfolded the paper. He scanned the words once… twice… then a third time, his heart hammering.

"These twins… are mine," he muttered, disbelief thick in his voice.

"I told you so," Isabella replied, confidence breaking through her exhaustion, her relief spilling into the room like sunlight.

Alex staggered back, eyes wide, the walls closing in. "This can't be real…" His voice dropped to a whisper as if admitting it would make it permanent. He stood, dazed, and walked out of the office like a man trapped in someone else's nightmare.

The doctor turned to Isabella with an easy smile, his tone warmer now. "Congratulations, madam. You've just secured the father of your children—and one of the richest men in Costa Verana."

Lucas and Sophia, meanwhile, were busy exploring the doctor's shiny instruments, giggling as though the world hadn't just shifted under their tiny feet.

"Thank you, doctor," Isabella said softly, bowing slightly before gathering her children.

"Cas, Soph—come on," she called, adjusting her bag. "Let's catch up to your dad before he leaves us here."

The children ran to her side, their small steps quick and eager.

"Mum, we've got a dad now?" Sophia asked, her eyes sparkling, enthusiasm too big for her little body.

"Yes," Isabella whispered, stroking her daughter's hair with trembling fingers. "We found your dad. Now it's time to be good children, okay?"

Hand in hand, the three of them stepped out of the hospital, the weight of a new future heavy on Isabella's shoulders.

*****

At the Rayes house…

"Mom, this can't be true! The biggest humiliation of my life—it's been a whole day now and Alexander hasn't even checked on me. Do I mean nothing to him? Or am I suddenly not good enough now that he has two children?" Camila rambled endlessly, her voice breaking with each word.

Mrs. Rayes clenched her fists in anger. See what Alexander has reduced my daughter to—doubting her own worth.

"No, dear. Mi hija, you're a Gem, not a second choice. You'll find someone better than Alex," she said softly, trying to soothe her daughter.

Camila shook her head. "No, Mom, it's not about worth, it's about love! Do you even understand my pain? It's love."

She took a shaky breath, trying to steady the storm inside her. "I won't let Alex go. Not now, not later. We've been through too much together. We're meant to be. If it's because of those children, I'll take care of them. I love kids, Mom,.... I'd treat them like my own."

"Camila!" Mr. Rayes' voice thundered across the room, silencing her. "You will not become a babysitter for another man's children. Either Alex chooses you, or he chooses them. That is final."

"Mom!" Camila whined, frustration lacing her tone. "Dad can't dictate my life—I'm twenty-one, for crying out loud!"

"You're still young, Camila," Mrs. Rayes said gently. "Just listen to your father. Being a stepmother is not the sweetest role to play."

Camila's shoulders slumped. "Okay, Mom…" she murmured, sounding defeated. But in her heart, her parents' words only hardened her resolve. She would not give up. She would make Alex choose her—because she was worth it.

*****

At the Castillo Mansion

"Do you think you can come here and live the life of a rich lady?' Alex mocked, his voice dripping with venom as he glared at Isabella, who was sprawled on the floor.

"I never thought about that, Alex, I......."

"How dare you call me Alex! To you, I am Mr. Castillo!" Alex thundered, his voice booming through the hall. In his rage, he kicked a nearby stool.

"Ouch… that really hurt," he muttered under his breath, scolding himself mentally.

"Sorry… Mr. Castillo," Isabella whispered as she knelt on the floor. Deep inside, regret gnawed at her, regret for ever agreeing to come here.

"What is going on with you?" Rafael Castillo's commanding voice cut through the tension. His presence alone made the maids shrink back, trembling like frightened rabbits.

"Father, this woman cannot stay in my house. I already have a fiancée," Alex declared, his tone sharp and unwavering, his chest rising and falling with fury.

Mr. Rafael Castillo strode toward Isabella, his stern face unreadable. Then, in a surprising move, he reached out and helped her to her feet.

"I accept Isabella as my daughter-in-law," Rafael announced firmly. "She is the one who has given the Castillo family both an heir and a princess. What more proof do we need? She is the rightful bride." His eyes swept across the room, daring anyone to disagree.

"Dad, I can't marry her!" Alex shot back, his voice full of conviction. "The only woman I will marry—the only one I would move the world for—is Camila." He locked eyes with his father, unshaken, before turning a cold, piercing look at Isabella and storming out of the sitting room.

"That is not your decision to make!" Rafael roared after him, his voice echoing off the grand walls. "And perhaps Isabella—the blessed girl herself—may not even see you as worthy to be her husband!"

He turned back to Isabella, who stood meekly at his side, head bowed, too afraid to meet his eyes. His tone softened, his authority now replaced with a rare warmth.

"Tell me, Isabella… do you want to marry Alex?" Rafael asked gently, his large hand enclosing hers with fatherly reassurance.